Alzheimer?s Disease Viewed as a Neurovascular Inflammatory Disorder PROJECT SUMMARY / ABSTRACT Alzheimer?s disease (AD) is a devastating neurodegenerative disorder lacking effective treatments. Most clinical trials testing the long-standing amyloid hypothesis of AD have shown little promise. The future of novel treatments targeting other pathophysiological processes in the disease is uncertain. Growing evidence supports a role for neurovascular inflammation as a major causative or exacerbating factor in AD onset and progression. However, the scientific community has yet to label AD a vascular disease and questions remain about the viability of neurovascular inflammation as a potential therapeutic target. To address this controversy head-on, the New York Academy of Sciences will present a 1-day symposium and simulcast Webinar, ?Alzheimer?s Disease Viewed as a Neurovascular Inflammatory Disorder? on 12/6/2016. The goal of this symposium is to evaluate clinical and preclinical data investigating the role of neurovascular pathology in the development of AD. Critical barriers to understanding how to clinically test vascular-based hypotheses for the treatment of AD will be discussed, including recent imaging advances for monitoring disease progression. Moreover, emerging science on molecular and physiological processes that can be leveraged as targets for novel therapeutics will be presented. This symposium will fill an important gap in the conference landscape, presenting a focused, in-depth discussion on the synergies between AD and vascular disease research, building upon the recently defined need to better understand neurovascular dysregulation in AD and vascular dementia (36). This landmark event will unite 200 in-person basic, translational, and clinical researchers ? along with a global audience of Webinar participants ? from academia, industry, government, and non-profit organizations, working on neurodegenerative disorders and vascular disease in an effort to understand, prevent, and treat AD and vascular dementias such as small vessel disease (SVD). Sessions will address 5 central aims: (i) Elucidate the relationship between genetic information and neurovascular pathology in AD and SVD; (ii) Explore novel molecular targets and physiological processes critical to vascular function and CNS health, using human studies and animal models; (iii) Describe clinical aspects of neurovascular dysregulation and inflammation in AD and SVD and identify biomarkers for vascular-based mechanisms; (iv) Identify knowledge gaps and future research required for breakthroughs in prevention and treatment of AD; and (v) Showcase and encourage the participation of Early-Career, female, and Underrepresented Minority investigators via short talks, poster presentations and prizes, travel fellowships, and discounted registration. In addition, the NINDS? specific goal of disseminating information will be met through a simulcast Webinar and publication of an enduring open-access Academy eBriefing. A collaborative, multidisciplinary approach will be critical to meeting the urgent unmet need for AD patients. To that end, this event will consider new disease mechanisms and therapeutic targets for AD, from a broad range of perspectives.